Valve spring lock tool



Dec. 20, 1932. w. FALWELL VALVE SPRING LOCK TOOL Filed Jan. 28, 1932Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcs wnAYIrALwnLL, orAtrsron, MASSACHUSETTS vALvE swam Look "roo'r.

Application sea January as, 1932. Serial no. 589,369..

My present invention relates to valve spring. lock tools, and moreparticularly to tools foruse in holding in place the valve spring.locking member, sometimes called a 5 key, which holds the valve springin place under tension in automobile engines and other engines ofsimilar type in which poppet" valves are used for gas intake and eX-haust purposes.

In nearly all looking devices of this na ture there is also provided incombination with the key member, a saddle member which receives thebottom coil of the spring and at the same time prevents the key mer n- 1ber from being displaced when the valvespring is in operating position.

Whenever it 1s necessary to grind thevalves of an engine of the classabove men-1 tioned, the valve spring must be lifted witha valve springlifting tool and the key re;

moved before the grinding work can be done. In some types of lockingmembers, such as the one illustrated .in the accompanying drawing, thekey lock member will fall out easily when the valve spring is lifted,but

the real difliculty comes inreplacing this look member when the valve isreassembled due to the small working, space present and the fact thatthe locking key must be held 3lli'inplace until the saddle member isseated around it.

'In my present inventionI have designed a 5: which holds the lockingmember, in place around the valve stem until the spring sad dle memberhas seated around the locking member;

Still another object is ajvalve spring lock' tool which is automaticallydisplaced by the saddle member when the saddle member has berlomeengaged around the lock member;

Other objects and novel features'compris' ing the constructionandoperationof my invention will appear as the description of the sameprogresses.

Referring to the drawing illustrating my" invention; i

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of a valve spring assembly showingthe spring coinpressedand the locking member in place being held by thejaws of'the-tool; H

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing thetool with the locking member in place about the valve stem 1 Fig. 3 isan inner side elevation-of one of the split halves of a locking memberFig. 4 is an inner side elevation of one of jaw portions of th t l; y v

Fig. 5is a plan'view of one of the tool'jaw spring and locking memberholders I Fig. '6' is a side elevation of the spring member shown in Fig5, particularly show ing the normal curved formation of the said springmember, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of spring.

Referring more in detail to the drawingfso 10 indicates a valvestenraround which is placed a compression spring- 11., The upper end ofthe compression spring 11, in a ty'pia cal automobile engine, bearsagainst an overhanging" portion of the cylinder b1eck-,:not shown inFig. 1. The bottom ofpthe valve spring 11 is held by a saddle'member 12through whichthe valve stem 10' passes; y

In Fig. 1 I have shown the saddle 'an'dv'alvev spring compressed upwardas the-case when the valve unit is being assembled. The

saddle and valve spring being held up by means of a valve lifting tool,a portion of the upper jaw of which is indicated at 13. In 5 thisposition the lower end of the valve stem 10 is exposed, as shown in Fig.1 so that the split cone locking members 14 may be placed around theannular groove 15 provided on the Valve stem 10 for the purpose.

By an examination of Fig. 1 it will be noted that the saddle member 12is provided with an upwardly depressed chamber 16, the sides of whichareof. conical formation similar to the sides of the locking members 14such that when the saddle member 12 is allowed to drop over the lockingmembers 14, the members 14 cannot become dislodged from the valve stemgroove 15.

My present invention is principally concerned in a tool to hold thelocking members 14 in the valve stem groove 15 while the saddle member12 is lowered over such locking members. The tool comprises a pair ofoppositly opposed jaw members 17, the handle portions 18 of which areofiset from the jaw portions and crossed in the conventional manner of apair of pliers, a rivet 19 being provided at the cross over portion onwhich to pivot the jaws 17.

The jaws 17 are recessed on the inner sides adjacent the working end ofthe tool as indicated at 20 and adapted to conform to the conical sidesof the locking members 14 with particular reference to its lowermostportion.

On the extreme end of the jaw portions 17 and adjacent their inner sidesI have provided an extension portion 21 better shown in Fig. '4.

On the lower sides of the jaw members 17 I have placed a flat springmember 22 which is also recessed at 23 similar to the jawportions 17 ofthe tool except that the recess 23 is of a lesser diameter or radiusthan the recess 20. At 24 I have provided an opening through whichrivets 25 may be placed for the purpose of securing the member 22 tothejaw 17 and upon which the member 22 may pivot. The front portion of themember 22 is provided with a cap portion 26 within which the extensionportion 21 of the jaws 17 may slide when the member 22 is pivoted aboutthe rivet 25. Also on the inner side of the member 22 I have providedvertical stop-members 27.

It will be noted that the normal condition of the member 22 is curved,as shown inFig. 6, the material being composed of spring steel such thatwhen the extension end 21 of the jaw members 17 are inserted under thecap 26 and the rivets 25 in place the lower surface of'the jaws 17 andthe upper surface of the members 22 are held together by friction unlessacted upon by considerable t ide force.

When it is desired to load the tool the members 22 are pushed towardeach other and ahalf section of the locking member 14 is placed on themember 22, the curved side of the locking member being placed adjacentthe recessed side 20 of the jaw 17 after which the members 22 arepivoted outward on the rivets 25, the result of which is to clamp thetwo half portions of the member 14 in the jaws 17. The members 14 maynow be placed around the valve stem as shown in Fig. 1 and the saddleallowed to drop into place, the chamber 16 catching the member 14 andholding it against the valve stem just prior to displacing the jaws 17.v w

Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of the spring member 22 as indicatedby 22a. The only difference in the member 22 and 22a is that the member22 is provided with a top cover portion on the cap portion 26 whilemember 22a has no such cover portion," and the spring curvatureof themember 22a is reversed from the member 22. When the member 22a is usedin place of the member 22 it is unnecessary to reduce the end 21 of themember 17 as shown in Fig. 4 but such extension member may continueoutward to the same limit as shown in. Fig. 4 but maintained at the samethickness as the rest of the jaw member 17. In operation either 22 or22a will produce the same result both being held in contact against thesides of the jaws 17 by means of friction. I

Having thus described I claim as new, is: j

1. A tool for holding in place valve stem spring locking memberscomprising a pair of fiat bladed pliers, the inner front surfacesadapted to receive split cone lock members, spring members adapted toengage the botmy invention what tom portions of said lock members,friction means adaptedto the jaws of said pliers and sald lock members,substantially as shown and described. 1

2. A tool comprising a pair of pliers adapted to holdsplit cone valvespring locking members comprising a pair of recessed jaw members adaptedto receive a portion of the sides of said split cones, spring memberspivoted' to the bottom of said jaw members adapted to hold a portion ofthe bottom of said split cones, means for clamping said split cones insaid recessed jaw members comprising flanges located on the inner sidesof said spring members, means for maintaining friction between saidspring members and said jaw members, said friction means comprising'capportions located on-the end of said spring members adapted to engageover the ends of said jaws. j

3. In a valve spring locking tool, a 'pair of pliers having recessedconical inner surfaces. adapted to receive the conical sides of a split'cone valve spring locking member, pivoted spring members loc'ated'belowsaid recessed WRAY FALWELL.

